SUCKER PUNCH

It took Julius Indongo just 40 seconds to become a world champion. Ricky Burns has been warned

WAS it just a lucky punch? If Julius Indongo had a Namibian dollar for every time he has been asked that over the last four months... well, he probably wouldn’t be living in his father’s old house in an impoverished township with his three children, two siblings and their assorted offspring.

Indongo, then, isn’t a rich man but he is the IBF and IBO super-lightweight champion of the world and will be in Glasgow this week looking to add Ricky Burns’ WBA version of the title to his collection. The manner in which he earned those two belts ought to serve as a warning to Burns ahead of their unification bout at the SSE Hydro on Saturday night.

There is little footage of Indongo’s fight against Eduard Troyanovsky in Moscow in December for the simple reason that it lasted all of 40 seconds. In his first professional bout outside of his native Namibia, Indongo sprang from his corner like a man in a hurry. Troyanovsky was no patsy. He was the undefeated world champion, boasting a record of 25-0, with all but three of those wins secured by knock-out. In front of a home crowd, he was expected to make light work of the African challenger to step closer to a lucrative fight in the United States against the likes of Terence Crawford or Adrian Broner.

Instead, he found himself on the wrong end of a dazzling left overhand shot from Indongo that landed flush on his chin and sent him to the canvas. There was little need for the referee to count. The fight was over and Indongo, in his 21st professional fight, was the new world champion.

But was it just a lucky punch or could the 34-year-old deliver the same again to Burns on Saturday night? Indongo’s record of just 11 knock-outs would suggest he is more of a fighter than a puncher, but he says this was no oneoff. With Troyanovsky said to be the fourth opponent to have been suckered in such a fashion, it would not be a surprise were Indongo to try unloading a similar shot in Glasgow.

“You are responsible for your own luck in boxing, it does not just fall from Heaven, and who would not appreciate a little luck to finish off an opponent in 40 seconds?” Indongo’s promoter Nestor Tobias said in poetic fashion. “The bottom line is Indongo did what he had to do and if he gets the opportunity to do it again he will.

“Look, we have seen Indongo knocking out many opponents and we are therefore used to his prowess. If we can be blessed with the same lucky punch against Burns we will gladly accept it. We know that such lucky punches come with a lot of hard work and practice.”

VICTORY in Moscow saw Indongo become only Namibia’s fourth world boxing champion, further endearing him to a sports-daft public in a country of a little more than two million.

“Indongo has always been known by all boxing fans in Namibia,” Tobias said. “He has a very strong boxing following and the win in December solidified his base. His Excellency, the President Dr Hage Gein-gob, is a sports-loving man. He was among the first people to congratulate Indongo on Twitter after his win. The courtesy visit [to the State House] was welcom-ing and encouraging to Indongo’s self-esteem, and just knowing that the number one citizen is behind him means a lot to all of us.” Like Burns, Indongo is said to be a humble, down-to-earth man who has worked throughout his life – in his case as a policeman – to supplement the relatively meagre sums he has made from boxing. The big payday will come for either man should they land one of those fights in Las Vegas or Madison Square Garden that Troyanovsky had been dreaming of, but Tobias is not looking too far ahead. “Fame has not blinded Julius but just made him hungrier for greater victories. It is an absolute pleasure having worked with him all these years. He does not talk much and only speaks when spoken to. He is always respectful to his opponents and his fans and never trash talks. Everybody who knows him will tell you that he will always greet you with a smile. “He is definitely not a rich man, but he is OK. He has a full-time job in the Namibian police force and trains on a regular basis despite his job commitments. As a police officer, hopefully he can arrest Ricky Burns in the ring when he misbehaves.

“Our immediate task is to take care of Burns, and once that is done and dusted, we will weigh up our options. When we took care of Troyanovsky, many offers streamed in and I am sure the stakes will be even higher after the Burns fight. We will take it one step at a time.”

This will not be Tobias’ first visit to Glasgow, nor his first encounter with Burns. He was in Paulus Moses’ corner when the Namibian took on the Scot for his WBO lightweight belt in 2012 only to lose on points. Moses, who retained his African lightweight title last week, has been sparring with Indongo and passing on tips from that encounter.

“That was an extremely close fight, one I think Paulus Moses should have won but we respected the decision of the judges,” Tobias said. “I can only imagine that Burns has become wiser since that fight, but Indongo is a different opponent and it remains to be seen whether and how he will cope with him.

“Paulus and Julius have spoken about that fight and shared notes. Paulus remains dangerous and lethal, and him working with Indongo towards the preparation of the fight was a good decision.”

Tobias remains confident that Indongo will travel to Glasgow with two belts and leave with three.

“We would not have agreed to the fight if we did not think we could compete with Burns. Burns is, of course, more experienced and more accomplished, and he will be fighting us on home soil which gives him every motivation to win.

“Indongo, however, knows what is at stake. He will go in there and fight for the 2.4 million Namibians, a boxing-loving country, and that alone is enough motivation.”